From cocktail parties and Christmas feasts to New Year’s Eve festivities, the end-of-year holidays are synonymous with social gatherings and delicious, but often rich and indulgent food and alcoholic excesses that can become a challenge for the digestive system. Researchers claim that herbal drinks, like Rooibos, which is indigenous to South Africa and derived from…
For centuries, drinking tea has played a central role in the lives of women across the globe. Women like British born Mary Tuke (1725-72) was among the first tea merchants to build a chain of tea stores. What’s more, she did so amid many jail threats and fines, since many (mainly men) were opposed to…
This blog on the MyKitchen website provides a beautiful overview of the Rooibos story – from how it became part of the tea-drinking culture in the Cederberg region during the 19th century to finding ways to germinate Rooibos seeds in the 1930s. Rooibos is produced from the plant Aspalathus linearis, a shrub unique to the Cederberg Mountains around…
Prof Jonny Peter, Head of the Allergy and Immunology Unit at the University of Cape Town’s Lung Institute, told CapeTalk’s #WeekendBreakfast host Africa Melane about the studies they are conducting to determine the impact of Rooibos on allergic inflammation. Laboratory studies have shown Rooibos has a positive effect on allergy-prone cells. They hope to turn…
Rooibos is still one of the most affordable beverages amidst rising food prices, the VAT increase and inflation. According to the SA Rooibos Council, “Hot drinks, which includes tea, coffee and other speciality drinks, only saw an inflationary increase of 4.8% in comparison to cold drinks which rose by 7%.” Rooibos, in particular, offers great…
The recent drought negatively impacted the production of Rooibos. As a result, the demand for Rooibos exceeded supply, and Rooibos prices increased. This influenced the domestic market where price sensitivity decreased the demand for Rooibos by 30% over the past three years. During the same period, the demand for Rooibos in Japan increased by 100%.…
Consumer brands group AVI, the owner of household names such as Five Roses and Freshpak Rooibos, says its Rooibos input cost spiked 27% as a result of the local drought in 2017/18. With better rainfall last year, most product prices stabilised somewhat – except for Rooibos. The same box of 80 teabags still costs R54.…
South African farmers are ready to plant more Rooibos tea as demand for this antioxidant-rich indigenous brew grows. However, the natural limit on suitable land could mean that supply will struggle to keep pace with demand. In 2018, Rooibos, which only grows in a small area some 200 km to the north of Cape Town,…
In a recent survey, one-third of South Africans cited Rooibos tea among their top three colds and flu fighting strategies. A survey conducted by a leading health firm showed that South Africans’ first reaction to a cold is to take Vitamin C, get enough rest, and take Rooibos mixed with honey, lemon and/or ginger. But,…